Overview
- UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 bound for Honolulu, went down minutes after departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
- The wreckage struck an industrial area that includes an oil recycling facility and auto-parts yard, unleashing a large fireball and a towering smoke plume.
- State officials report at least seven fatalities and multiple injuries, warning the numbers could rise as search and rescue operations continue.
- The airport halted flights and police issued local shelter and curfew orders, with UPS confirming three crew members were on board and pausing hub operations.
- The NTSB is leading the investigation with FAA involvement, and authorities are reconciling conflicting reports about the aircraft’s fuel load and damage to flammable sites.